By: Bayero Ade
Students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic have given Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, a 24-hour ultimatum to apologize for a clash involving her security operatives and student protesters in Abeokuta.
According to Vanguard, the students were protesting on Wednesday against increased school fees and the dissolution of their Students Union Government. The confrontation occurred near the OPIC area in Oke Ilewo as the students marched peacefully toward the Governor’s Office to present their grievances.
At a press conference on Thursday, Francis Adeyanju, Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Ogun Joint Campus Committee, called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to investigate the alleged shooting of students by security personnel attached to the deputy governor’s convoy.
Adeyanju rejected claims made by Kayode Akinmade, the governor’s Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, that the protesters attacked the convoy with weapons.
He explained, “The students were marching peacefully and singing solidarity songs when the security operatives in the convoy opened fire without justification. The suggestion that students attacked the convoy is false and misleading.”
Adeyanju revealed that a student leader sustained injuries from the gunfire while others ran for safety. He also mentioned that some vehicles in the convoy were damaged as drivers attempted to flee the scene after the shooting began.
“We have video evidence and eyewitness accounts to prove our claims,” Adeyanju said. “The students did not provoke the security operatives; their only intention was to communicate their concerns to the government.”
The student body has demanded a public apology and a retraction of the false allegations within 24 hours.
“If our demands are not met, we will mobilize students from across Ogun State and beyond for a mass protest to condemn the injustice and the unprovoked attack on peaceful demonstrators,” Adeyanju warned.
He assured that the students remain committed to expressing their concerns through peaceful and lawful means.
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